Crave

Technically, there's no reason the Zune couldn't have a huge game library.

(Credit: Microsoft)

While there's no shortage of handheld game systems on the market--the Nintendo DS and DSi are still selling well and the PSP continues to hang in there, while the App Store expands its catalog every minute--one of the seemingly no-brainer bets in the mobile gaming realm hasn't happened yet: the Zune.

We say "no brainer" for several reasons:

• Microsoft has a successful gaming platform in the Xbox 360, emphasizing online and downloadable gaming.
• Microsoft, compared with Sony and Nintendo, is best able to take on Apple in terms of a media-management software store and the ability to build an equivalent music/games/movies catalog, and making that product PC compatible.
• The Zune HD now plays games.

The first point is obvious. The second is debatable, but we say this because Sony, while having a decent media library on PSN, just isn't historically great at building cross-platform software for syncing the PSP, and Microsoft's global software reach is simply stronger. The third is technically true--Microsoft launched a small collection of completely free-to-play, ad-supported games for its OLED-screened Zune HD last month, and one of them happens to be an adaptation of Project Gotham Racing.

It's an interesting prospect (and one we've wondered about before) because the Zune HD processor, an Nvidia Tegra, has both HD processing muscle and 3D graphics capability. We downloaded and played with all the Zune HD games currently available--all 12 of them--with some curiosity to see if the Zune could compete as a game device.

The DSi XL's larger screens make it significantly bigger than the existing DSi.

(Credit: Nintendo Japan)

Nintendo recently announced a new DSi model for the Japanese market. How does it differ from the current DSi, and when can gamers in other parts of the world expect to be able to buy it? Read on for the answers.

What is it?
The DSi LL (as it will be called in Japan) or XL (how it'll be referred to in Europe and North America) is a supersized version of the Nintendo DSi.

What is different about it?
The DSi XL will be almost an inch wider than the DSi, a bit thicker, and it will have two 4.25-inch screens (that's an inch larger than the DSi's screens and 93 percent larger than the screens of the older DS Lite). It will feature two different-sized styli: a traditional thin stylus and a large rounded one that takes the shape of a pen. The portable console will have a similar battery life to the DSi's, about 4 to 5 hours on maximum brightness and 13 to 17 hours on the minimum setting.

Except for the larger size and extra stylus, there doesn't seem to be any other major differences on the XL. Like the DSi, it does not have a Game Boy Advance port, so it can't play older GBA cartridges.

Nintendo DSi XL photos

Can I transfer my downloaded DSi games (DSi Ware) to it?
As of this writing, Nintendo has not said how it plans to handle this issue. That said, DSi Ware games are currently nontransferable.

Why is Nintendo making yet another DS model?
We're not totally sure about this one. The two best bets: the DSi XL's larger screens may appeal to older gamers who are visually impaired, and the larger size could be helpful to those with big hands for whom the DSi's real estate is a bit too cramped. But the obvious sacrifice is portability--the XL will no longer fit into a pocket.

When will it be available, and how much will it cost?
The DSi XL will go on sale in Japan on November 21, 2009 (as the LL) for around $220. Nintendo has confirmed that it will be released in Europe and North America in the first quarter of 2010, but the company has yet to name a price.

The Nintendo DSi

Now that Nintendo has released the DSi, every portable gaming system now supports--in one way or another--downloadable content. Whether you're downloading apps from the Apple App Store or transferring PSP games from the PlayStation Network, it's clear digital distribution is the future of entertainment.

With all of these options, you may ask yourself "which portable gaming device is right for me?" If you're the casual gamer who wants everything in one device, you may want to check out an iPhone or an iPod Touch.

More serious gamers can get their fixes with a much more gamer-centric experience with a PSP or DSi. Not ready for the world of downloadable games? The DS Lite is still your most affordable option at $130.

Let our portable gaming product comparison feature help you out in your decision-making process. Based on games alone, what is your pick for the best portable gaming experience?

The PSP 3000: Just a few tiny changes from last year's version.

(Credit: Sony via Joystiq)

Additional coverage: Sony tries to dispel PSP 3000's battery issues

Sony officially unveiled the PSP 3000 Wednesday at the Leipzig Games Convention in Germany, confirming rumors that had popped up online in recent weeks. But before you get excited (or--if you just bought a PSP--exasperated), note that this appears to be an even more subtle upgrade than the slimmed-down PSP 2000 that debuted in September 2007. The main changes, according to Sony:

The year was 1983--the last De Loreans were produced, the final episode of M.A.S.H. aired with more than 125 million viewers tuning in to watch, the "Just Say No" anti-drug campaign debuted, Jaws went 3D (don't know why), and the A-Team released so much ammunition without ever hitting anyone--Oh, What a Feeling!

I take good care of my stuff.

(Credit: Matthew Fitzgerald - CNET)

This time portal has been initiated because I've dug something up from my closet. Not a skeleton, but a working 1983 original Game & Watch Nintendo Popeye tabletop system. For those who don't know how the Nintendo tabletop models worked, the LCD is mounted on the top of the game and reflects onto the mirror. It is illuminated via an opaque panel on the top, which works as a natural light source in order for the game to be visible. Color is simulated with a colored film placed over the LCD. The convenience of a rechargeable battery pack or adapter didn't exist. Instead, two "C" batteries powered it. The tabletop also doubled as a clock, hence the name Game & Watch.

Back when the adorable factor was high and worries nonexistent, I was an arcade-playing fiend. A single quarter and it was on like Donkey Kong; taking down anyone who put their quarter down on the machine to battle. The extent of the obsession showed every Sunday, after church, when I detoured to the only eatery known in the neighborhood to house arcade games, on the way home. Imagine an angelic little girl, in her Sunday dress, shiny Buster Brown shoes, and ribbons in her hair, feverishly slamming on the fire button while rolling a track-ball back, forth, up, and down, with such psychotic focus in her eyes. How adorable is that?!

So, when the opportunity came to purchase something that emulated the coin-operated arcade experience, in the form of a portable tabletop, I was there. The next three Christmases I got one; Galaxian, Donkey Kong Jr. (Nintendo version), and Popeye. However, the honeymoon was short-lived once the NES console came into the picture.

Popeye was a single-player game and the plot was simple: Bluto has kidnapped Olive Oyl, tied her up, and Popeye must save her. The goal is to box Bluto on the landing till he falls off. With each win, Olive Oyl kicks a can of spinach toward Popeye. Eating the spinach allows Popeye to knock Bluto out, onto a hanging hook, with one punch. There were two levels: Game A (easy) and Game B (adding in a shark to sporadically come up from the water to poke Popeye in the--err--bum, sending Popeye back a step.). For 8-bit graphics on a 4.5-inch screen, the colors were rich and vibrant, and the gameplay was neverending.

Ironically, Popeye was the least favorite of the three, but it was the only one I've found thus far. In the meantime, some co-workers have been playing with it relentlessly, while waxing nostalgic. Amazing how something so simple can be so addictive.

Dream Authentics Tabletop Arcade

If the need to recapture those moments has hit close to home, check out the Dream Authentics Tabletop Arcade (MSRP $2,495.95). Although it's helluva lot of money, it does include 160 arcade classics--Asteroids, Bubble Bobble, etc.--in one machine, on a 19-inch flat-screen LCD.

Some of you may remember the Gizmondo, a portable gaming console announced in 2005 that was positioned as a competitor to the Sony PSP and Nintendo DS. Tiger Telematics, the company which produced it, was headed by a couple of Swedes who eventually left the firm just before it went bankrupt in early 2006. It's an incredible tale involving a crashed Ferrari Enzo, dealings with the Mafia, and millions of dollars of investor funds going down the drain.

(Credit: Crave Asia)

Now it looks like Carl Freer, Gizmondo's former chairman, wants to revive the brand. In an interview with a Swedish publication, he revealed that the next version of Gizmondo will be made inexpensive and work with open source codes. He went so far as to say that there will be a new widescreen device by Christmas 2008.

According to the interview (translated version here), Freer is doing it because he "still believes that Gizmondo can stand up to the competition, and in order to give the investors who lost money in the Gizmondo crash a chance to get some of their money back."

Wow. All we can say is he's going to have a hard time finding any investors. And we won't be holding our breath for a new Gizmondo. For those who want to try out one of the originals, you can still get a Gizmondo on eBay.

(Source: Crave Asia)

Sony's PlayStation 3 console

(Credit: Sony)

Sony Computer Entertainment America announced on Thursday a full list of the games and hardware bundles that it will be launching for its PlayStation systems--PlayStation 3, PlayStation 2, and PlayStation portable (PSP)--for the fast-approaching holiday season.

The games, both first- and third-party, range from "enthusiast" titles geared toward the traditional young-male "gamer demographic," to more casual and social games "This holiday season we are offering our largest line up of quality software and hardware products to meet every taste, lifestyle and budget," said Scott A. Steinberg, vice president of product marketing for SCEA, said in a statement.

Sony is pitching the older PlayStation 2 console as an affordable hub for casual games, like SingStar and Buzz: The Mega Quiz. The PS2 is also "getting a social makeover with limited edition ceramic white hardware" and a new price of $149.99--perhaps as Sony's answer to that other white gaming console, you know, the one from Nintendo.

Among the more highly anticipated Sony titles are EA's Rock Band and The Orange Box; Activision's Guitar Hero III; and The Eye of Judgment, a trading card-based game that Sony developed in conjunction with Hasbro's Wizards of the Coast subsidiary.

A full list, below the jump:

Ready for action: the slimmer, faster PSP.

(Credit: Will Greenwald, CNET Networks)

PHOTOS: Sony's new PSP, in depth

It's not hitting stores until September 10, but Sony is already sending review samples of the new, slimmed-down PSP to various media outlets, CNET included. Not counting the brief walk-through we got four weeks ago, this was our first bit of quality time with the final hardware. A full review is forthcoming; but in the meantime, here are some first impressions of what Sony is calling "the PSP 2000."

• Thinner and lighter: While the 19 percent depth reduction may not look dramatic in the comparative photos, when you actually pick up the PSP and hold it, the fact that the new model is 33 percent lighter than its predecessor is readily apparent. (One co-worker remarked: "It feels like the battery is missing.")
• Slightly improved cosmetics and controls: The thinner profile offers a slightly sleeker, more rounded look and feel. Even better, however, is that all of the control buttons (the d-pad on the left, the PlayStation circle, X, square, and triangle on the right, and the shoulder buttons on the top) all seem to have a bit more spring to them. They feel just a tad more responsive--and that's a good thing.
• Faster loading times: We need to put this one on the clock, but a couple of favorite games--Burnout Dominator and Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories--definitely seemed to boot up faster on the new PSP compared to the old one. But don't expect miracles: the UMD load times are still poky when compared to the lightning-fast, flash-based games of the Nintendo DS and Game Boy.
• Video output: Sony included the component video breakout cable necessary to display the PSP's video on a compatible TV. (Composite and S-Video cables will also be available; each is expected to retail for around $20.) I had no trouble displaying videos on a 46-inch LCD TV, but there are several caveats. The larger the screen, the more unflattering the low-resolution PSP videos will look. Our Memory Stick Duo-based videos (transferred via TiVo To Go) looked chunky and full of artifacts--just as you'd expect a YouTube video to look on a big screen, for instance. UMD video fared much better: Jet Li's The One looked much closer to DVD quality (or at least TV quality). But the biggest frustration was that you can't zoom in on gameplay--games seemed locked in at their native 480x272 resolution. So if your TV doesn't have a robust zoom function, you're stuck with a window-boxed experience.

If those early impressions sound familiar, it's because they're right in line with GameSpot's analysis at the E3 show in July, when the product was first announced. Now, we already knew this was merely an evolutionary upgrade--the PSP2 it's not--but as far as product makeovers go, it's actually pretty cool. Anyone who's been thinking about taking the PSP plunge will be glad they waited for the new unit, while die-hard owners of the current PSP may just well find it to be a worthwhile trade-up as well. The price remains at $170 ($200 for the Daxter and Star Wars Entertainment Packs, each of which include a game and a 1GB Memory Stick Duo card).

If you've got any specific questions about the new PSP, ask them in the comments section, and I'll try to track down an answer for you.

This is not the N-Gage 2

(Credit: Nokia)

Nokia has confirmed that a successor to the N-Gage is due by early 2008. The company's FutureWatch blog indicates that developers EA and Gameloft are on board to develop for the updated N-Gage, and that other "leading publishers" will be making games as well.

Perhaps the bigger news is that the next N-Gage won't be a single device, but rather a gaming platform available on certain of its advanced Series 60 models. (Whether a future Series 60 phone will look like the Nokia concept pictured here, however, is anybody's guess.) Instead of buying games on MMC cards, titles would simply be purchased and downloaded directly to the phones via cellular broadband services. This conforms with the broad outline of the N-Gage's future that Nokia unveiled back at E3 2005.

If it all pans out, the new direction for the N-Gage makes a lot more sense. The idea of getting a superior phone that offers decent gameplay as a value-added extra feature is much more appealing than getting a device that's fatally compromised between its gaming and telephone functionality--which was essentially the case with the much maligned N-Gage (and its follow-up, the N-Gage QD). No, the new N-Gage phones won't ever compete with the Nintendo DS and the Sony PSP, but if the downloadable titles are competitively priced ($2 to $5) and offer some compelling on-the-go gameplay surpassing the Java minigames found on standard handsets, there's no reason N-Gage games wouldn't be as popular as, say, downloadable ringtones.

In a recent interview with the U.K.'s Mobile Entertainment, Nokia exec Jaakko Kaidesoja confirmed that the Game Developers Conference (GDC) in San Francisco in early March--not February's 3GSM conference in Barcelona--is the show to watch for N-Gage news. In the meantime, we'll leave you with the original phone's greatest legacy: Sidetalkin'.

Editors' note: This blog entry has been updated since its original publication to reflect additional information.

Sources: Nokia FutureWatch blog via Joystiq, and Mobile Entertainment via Gizmodo